Pedroia's home run should not have been ruled as such

[kydoty]

After it strikes Willingham's glove, it touches the upper edge of the wall before it rolls over the top of it. At 47 seconds the video shows the ball is clearly below the top of the wall after it deflects off the glove. Hitting the wall and going over is considered a ground rule double just as if it hit the ground itself.

 

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[jay]

We still lost by 4 runs. Hard to say it would have played out the exact same, but those runs would have scored either way with how the top-9th went.

 

Five total hits plus striking out twice in the bottom of the 9th with 2 guys on and in the 8th with them loaded is both how we lost and more excruciating.

[Winston Smith]

Where does it say this in the rule book?

"Hitting the wall and going over is considered a ground rule double just as if it hit the ground itself."

[snepp]

I believe he's saying that it hit the front side of the wall, then rolled along the top before going over. In that case it would have been in the field of play first, making it a GRD.

 

 

At least that's the conclusion I drew.

[nicksaviking]

I actually think it would fall under the "automatic double" rather than the "ground rule double."

 

Still, must not have happened. I've heard enough from Red Sox fans to know that they don't get any breaks. The bad breaks always happen to them, no for them.

[DuluthFan]

I think you misread the rule on that one. A deflected ball going over the outfield fence is a homerun. A ball that hits the top of the fence and goes over is a home run. You can argue an error on a deflection but it would still count as a home run.

 

The only instances where it would be a double would be if it went through the fence or deflected over the wall in foul territory.

[diehardtwinsfan]

yeah, the rule was ruled right... it's a stupid rule though. Remember way back when one bounced off of Jose Canseco's head and went into the stands (or something like that)... the ball would have never made it over otherwise. I'd call that a double. The rules disagree.

[nicksaviking]

yeah, the rule was ruled right... it's a stupid rule though. Remember way back when one bounced off of Jose Canseco's head and went into the stands (or something like that)... the ball would have never made it over otherwise. I'd call that a double. The rules disagree.

 

They have a discernation for plays like that. If it happens further than 250 feet from the plate a ball leaving the park under unusual circumstances like this is a homerun. If it happens under 250 ft its an automatic double. I remember about a decade ago a batter smoked a line drive off the pitchers cleat and the ball carried over the outfield fence. That was correctly ruled a double even though it was more awesome than 95% of all regular homeruns.

 

Which umpire is tasked with carrying the 250 ft tape measure is beyond me though.

[Brodin4Calder]

Im pretty sure it was a HR, I dont know what you saw but I saw the ball bounce off of Willinghams wrist and hop over the wall. If it lands on top of the wall its a HR, it didnt hit the wall then climb up it and roll over.